Anti-Tumoral Effect of the Non-Nucleoside DNMT Inhibitor RG108 in Human Prostate Cancer Cells

Title:Anti-Tumoral Effect of the Non-Nucleoside DNMT Inhibitor RG108 in Human Prostate Cancer Cells

Volume: 20 Issue: 11

Author(s): Ines Graca, Elsa J. Sousa, Tiago Baptista, Mafalda Almeida, Joao Ramalho-Carvalho, Carlos Palmeira, Rui Henrique and Carmen Jeronimo

Affiliation:

Keywords: Prostate cancer, RG108, DNA methyltransferases, proliferation, apoptosis.

Abstract: Background: Current therapeutic strategies for advanced prostate cancer (PCa) are largely ineffective. Because aberrant DNA methylation associated with inappropriate gene-silencing is a common feature of PCa, DNA methylation inhibitors might constitute an alternative therapy. In this study we aimed to evaluate the anti-cancer properties of RG108, a novel non-nucleoside inhibitor of DNA methyltransferases (DNMT), in PCa cell lines.

Methods: The anti-tumoral impact of RG108 in LNCaP, 22Rv1, DU145 and PC-3 cell lines was assessed through standard cell viability, apoptosis and cell cycle assays. Likewise, DNMT activity, DNMT1 expression and global levels of DNA methylation were evaluated in the same cell lines. The effectiveness of DNA demethylation was further assessed through the determination of promoter methylation and transcript levels of GSTP1, APC and RAR-β2, by quantitative methylation-specific PCR and RT-PCR, respectively.

Results: RG108 led to a significant dose and time dependent growth inhibition and apoptosis induction in LNCaP, 22Rv1 and DU145. LNCaP and 22Rv1 also displayed decreased DNMT activity, DNMT1 expression and global DNA methylation. Interestingly, chronic treatment with RG108 significantly decreased GSTP1, APC and RAR-β2 promoter hypermethylation levels, although mRNA reexpression was only attained for GSTP1 and APC.

Conclusions: RG108 is an effective tumor growth suppressor in most PCa cell lines tested. This effect is likely mediated by reversion of aberrant DNA methylation affecting cancer related-genes epigenetically silenced in PCa. However, additional mechanism might underlie the anti-tumor effects of RG108. In vivo studies are now mandatory to confirm these promising results and evaluate the potential of this compound for PCa therapy.

Cite this article as:

Graca Ines, Sousa J. Elsa, Baptista Tiago, Almeida Mafalda, Ramalho-Carvalho Joao, Palmeira Carlos, Henrique Rui and Jeronimo Carmen, Anti-Tumoral Effect of the Non-Nucleoside DNMT Inhibitor RG108 in Human Prostate Cancer Cells, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2014; 20 (11) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/13816128113199990516

DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/13816128113199990516	Print ISSN 1381-6128
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher	Online ISSN 1873-4286